Syllabus

Participation

We will spend the majority of our time in conversation with one another. The format of the discussions will vary. We will most commonly engage in small-group discussions of questions introduced by the instructor, but there will be plenty of more creative activities.

Discussions depend on individual students’ contributions and decorum, such as asking clarifying questions, encouraging each other to speak, delivering summaries, and offering commentaries. Together we will use such strategies to arrive at our desired learning outcomes while being mindful of the multiple and diverse experiences of all class participants. We ask that students participate to the extent of their abilities, respect each other, and review some tips on leading discussions.

In each class, we will:

• come prepared to discuss the day’s readings and assignments,
• discuss, in various group sizes, those readings and assignments,
• occasionally review background material on the day’s themes,
• warm-up to participate in an active-learning environment,
• synthesize those themes (often through group activities),
• and reinforce those themes through reflections (exit tickets).

We also expect our most vocal students to actively create space for others’ contributions by bringing in quieter voices to the discussions.

Missing class

You may miss two of our 20 classes without penalty. Please talk to us if you plan to or have missed any more classes than two. Both “excused” and “unexcused” absences will count toward your two free absences. If you do not demonstrate that any additional absences were excusable, participation grade will go down at about a rate of about two percentage points (of your total grade) per day missed.

Reading

We expect students to complete each day’s readings. You may lose participation points if you have obviously not come prepared for class.

While the readings vary in their difficulty and length, we expect students will spend approximately two hours on each day’s readings, with considerable variance. That’s four hours of reading a week.

Readings are roughly ordered by priority.

If you fall behind, begin with the next set of readings which are due so you can participate in the day’s discussion. Our discussions and assignments are closely tied to the readings, so it is incumbent upon you to make your best effort in completing the readings.

If you are stuck on a reading, do not hesitate to reach out.

Reading Posts

To gauge whether you have come to class prepared, we ask that you submit a post with reading questions or comments before class four times over the course of the quarter. Posts need not be long but must demonstrate significant engagement with the material. Your post may be a response to another post.

You must submit a post at least four times over the quarter. We will randomly assign each of you to four days over the quarter, as you can see in this spreadsheet. If you want to switch, receive consent from the person you will switch with and edit the spreadsheet.

We will grade posts on a scale of {0, .5, 1} respectively for absent or no effort, minimal effort, and suitable effort. To receive credit, responses should be on time.

Posts should, in about a paragraph, demonstrate your attempts to understand the readings and meet at least one of the following criteria:

• summarize the works read for the day,
• raise or answer questions (e.g. clarifications of particular portions of the text, relationships between the reading and a current event, or an interrogation into the values and underlying premises on which the reading was based),
• connect the work to previous readings,
• or critique the works.

If you find yourself writing a response during the quarter that for some reason you do not wish to share with your classmates, you are welcome to email it to the instructor rather than posting it in Canvas.

Grading

The point of this course is not a grade. Students should attend because of the readings and discussions—not in spite of them.

This course will be graded on a 4.0 scale as so:

• 16% reading posts
  • 4% * 4 reading posts each
• 20% participation
  • Expect to get full marks if you contribute regularly to discussions in a way that demonstrates having attempted the readings
• 64% course project, consisting of, as percentages of your total grade:
  • 4% proposal,
  • 10% progress check, and
  • 50% course project:
    • 30% written report or essay and
    • 20% presentation

Late assignments

Please get in touch if you need to submit something late. We’re understanding but deadlines are also useful to get us all on the same page.

Academic Integrity

We follow Stanford’s Honor Code.

If you consult other students’ work please attribute it accordingly—don’t copy.

Materials

There is no required textbook for this class. All readings will be available on the course website—the majority of which will be either scans or online articles. While the course website may show the readings and assignments for the entire course, they are subject to change until the week they are due.

Inclusion and Disagreement

We welcome students from all backgrounds and adhere to Stanfords’s Inclusiveness Statement. If anything related to the course makes you feel unwelcome in any way, let us know.

Many of the topics explored in this class are relevant because of their contentious and often unresolved nature. Students should bring an open mind and a desire to examine perspectives possibly different than their own. It is important that everyone be particularly respectful of each other’s positions and to allow for exploration. We do not want or expect you to agree with everything you are assigned to read — your instructor doesn’t agree with it all.

Accommodation and Resources

We are eager to provide necessary accommodations. Please ask!

Disability Accommodations

Please see the Stanford resources at https://oae.stanford.edu/students/academic-accommodations.

Religious Accommodations

Please see the Stanford resources at https://orsl.stanford.edu/religious-accommodations.

Writing help

From the Hume Center website:

The Hume Center is staffed by experienced, trained tutors who can help you at any stage of the writing or speaking process on any type of writing or speaking assignment. To meet with a tutor, schedule an appointment, stop by Hume for drop-in hours, or visit one of our satellite locations across campus.